When we met with Ana and Mngabe we were so excited to be included in their wedding.  They were a super sweet couple who had planned their entire wedding from start to finish with the exception of floral decor.  They decided that they would arrange for the flowers to be delivered to their ceremony and reception venue and we would be the ones setting up pew decor and centerpieces.  We got to work and were quite pleased with the results. . .

Once at the reception at Red Rose Convention Centre we set up their receiving line, head table and guest tables as well as organized the overall day-of requirements that we are so great at.

The newly married couple danced the night away to well choreographed dances and had an amazing night full of fun and excitement.

Our couple Milena and Sinisa were the perfect pair to introduce us to the wonderful traditions associated with a Croatian and Serbian wedding.

To start, the bride had her home decorated just as beautifully as the reception venue in anticipation of her groom.  While at home her family and friends enjoyed traditional food, music and entertainment. 

As the car horns began to be heard we couldn’t wait for what was to follow.  Emerging from down the street, with Croatian flags in hand were two honourary flag bearers flanking Sinisa as he approached his bride’s home.  Once at the home Sinisa would ask for his bride and eventually see her looking radiant, but not before a few “fake brides” made their way to him first. 

Milena and Sinisa were married at their local parish and made their way to their reception at the Mississauga Convention Centre where they were impressed by the stunning decor provided by Creations by Gitta, an irrisistible cake by Iris Segal Cakes and lots of entertainment and dancing . . .  so much so that the beautiful bride changed gowns mid-way through the night!

It was a spectacular event, one that we will remember and cherish always.

1. I’ve always dreamed of planning my wedding.  Will having a wedding planner mean I hand over my wedding to you?

Absolutely not!  We are here to help you achieve your dream wedding.  We listen to what you envision and give you tons of options and choices.  We don’t take over your special day at all ~ think of us as your BFF’s, helping you along the way, giving our input and suggestions.

 2. What if I don’t have any ideas for my wedding?

We can totally help you develop a theme, offering options in varying forms.  A theme can be anything from a colour(s) combination, a season, a city, a festival, a holiday maybe even a song or movie to name just a few.  The possibilities truly are endless.

 3.  Why do I need a wedding planner?

Wedding planners are becoming a more and more popular necessity when planning your special day because of the plethora of help we can offer and the great savings in money and stress we can award you.  We are professionals with associations with a great number of wedding industry professionals.  We know where to go for what and who to see and speak to to ensure your satisfaction.

 4.  Why do I need a Month-Of Coordinator?

You truly do want your guests and yourself to enjoy the day ~ that’s why you put all the time and care into your wedding planning.  With a month –of coordinator rest assured that al those details (you know the ones that make all the difference) are taken care of to guarantee that your day is flawless. 

On your day, the less you are asked, the less hustle and bustle you see, the more you can confidently know that we are doing a great job.  We are the go-to people on your day, on hand to resolve any discrepancies.  Count on us to make everything right, you won’t even know we are there ~ a really really good thing!

 5.  I know what I want, I can plan my own wedding . . .

Not a question, we realize, but definitely a topic to discuss.  This is absolutely true, you may know what you want, and you may know how to plan your wedding BUT do you know how to execute it?  A perfect example is one that I have used numerous times.  I always use an analogy of your wedding being a three layered, 4 tiered cake.  You know what you want, you’ve got the picture in front of you, with the ingredient list and the proper sized pans.  But without the recipe how well will your cake turn out?  Probably not too great, surely you can whip something together but it’s not quite what you had planned.  You’ve got the ideas, the plans and the ideal picture in mind, but do you have the know-how like our WPIC certified wedding planners do?  Chances are that you don’t, and that’s fine, that’s why we’re here. 

Do you know how to stagger elements of your evening, allocating enough time for your meal service so that it’s right on time and not served cold or undercooked?  We do!

How about all the traditions involved in weddings?  Do you know how to word and prepare an invitation, or line up for a receiving line, how about ushering in guests?  A lot to think about, a lot that we already know.

Did you know that an average 200 person wedding has about 18 minutes of “talk” during a reception.  That’s quite a bit of toasting and speeching!  We’ve got you covered, we know exactly how to space those talk minutes in and among other events so that your guests are kept entertained and interested in the speeches.

We’ve got all these answers and so very much more.

 6.  My ____________ got married in ___________ and says that he/she will organize the day for me for free as a gift.

That’s great!  But the sad thing is that if your ____________ truly wants to help out they will not be able to enjoy the day as a typical wedding guest would.  The amount of work that goes into executing your wedding day is quite extensive.  It’s a super nice offer for someone to volunteer their help but one that I strongly suggest you politely decline.  They should be able to celebrate with you, and if they chose to take on the role of “wedding planner” they won’t get much of an opportunity to do so.  Trust us, you can’t do both, almost impossible to be the wedding planner and a guest. 

7.  I’ve shopped around and found cheaper wedding planners.

Ever hear of that saying “you get what you pay for”?  We calculate our fees according to the level of experience and expertise we have acquired over the years.  This is our career, not our hobby (although we do love it).  We have invested lots of time and energy in learning, growing and perfecting our trade ~ our work is proof, so are our many happy clients.

8.  How far in advance should we be booking your services?

We strongly suggest you  call for an initial consultation soon after your engagement.  From there we suggest 1-1.5 years in advance for full wedding planning, 6 months for Month-of Coordination, and 2 months in advance for Day-Of Coordination.

9.  How many weddings do you book per day?

We pride ourselves on quality service, so we do not double book our dates.  One wedding planner = one wedding.

10.  What methods of payment does ISWP accept?

We accept cash and cheque as well as e-mail money transfer

We’ve got a new site, a new logo, new ideas and a newly renewed love for all things weddings!

Take a look at how far we’ve come:

2007 ISWP logo

2010 ISWP logo

We love it ~ everything about it!  The colour, the script and font, the romantic element of the swirls.  We couldn’t be happier.

Stay tuned for more blogposts and weddings…

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